Need a recomendation for a breed for a good guard dog. Want an animal that is capable and willing to take on a man, but is not completely unmanageble or a legal liability, i.e., no pit bulls. My experience with dogs is Labs, German Shephards, Chows and my family's small dogs. Labs clearly don't fit this bill. Don't think Shephards are mean enough. Chows are mean enough, but not big enough. Thoughts welcome. Rotts or Mastiffs?

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Need a recomendation for a breed for a good guard dog. Want an animal that is capable and willing to take on a man, but is not completely unmanageble or a legal liability, i.e., no pit bulls. My experience with dogs is Labs, German Shephards, Chows and my family's small dogs. Labs clearly don't fit this bill. Don't think Shephards are mean enough. Chows are mean enough, but not big enough. Thoughts welcome. Rotts or Mastiffs?

airdale, its not the size of the dog but the size of the heart in the dog. They all will need training to do what you want.You will need to ask the breeder how sharp the line is. two sixty pound dogs are a better choice than 1 120 lb dog.

JD

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two sixty pound dogs are a better choice than 1 120 lb dog.

That is very true. Their are many good dogs that would fit your need, I my self would rather have an alert noisy dog, as an early warning system, and maybe to alert other dogs, that would be more aggressive and or intimidating. Dogs I'd look at would be Shar-Pei, Rott, shepherd, Chow, and for a noise maker most anything small. Nothing moves in or near my yard that my Beagles don't let me know about. Just remember, if your dog bites someone, even if they are their uninvited and up to no good you are more than likely going to have to go to court and having to shell out a good sum of money to a lawyer, even if you win.

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Mastiffs?

Guard training a Mastiff is an exceptionally BAD idea!! They are more than adequate without training. There must be 100 breeds of dogs which will make good trained guards, most of them can be found on the Working Dog list at AKC. Lots of things to consider, climate, space, time to train, kids or no. Indoor, outdoor, or both.

The more work you put into the dog the more reward you'll get back.

I would suggest checking your chosen breed against any kind of list published by your homeowners insurance company. You may find that they will NOT give you liability coverage for certain breeds.
Peter.

Chessie. They have a very definite idea of what's theirs and don't take well to people disagreeing with their notions. If a Chessie tells you he's going to bite you if you don't back off you can take it to the bank. They aren't smart enough to know how to bluff.

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Chessie

Waterproof too!!

Yes, Chessie! They are one person dogs however, and very dominant. I received some excellent advice on this board many years ago about my Laddie. That was when I was under the notion that a Chessie was a kind of Lab. NOT!
VERY protective. They would die for you, and, a piece of me died with him.
Peter.

German Wirehair, Deutch Draahthaar

You don't need a mean dog to have good guard dog. A good guard dog isn't one that attacks everything in sight IMO. A German Shepard is plenty of dog and smart enough to discern trouble by instinct. A Chow is the cave man of dogs and also plenty capable but the question is are the owners capable of training a Chow? I'd choose a Rottweiller and train it to be a good family pet, it doesn't need help to be your guard dog unless a person is looking for a working Shutzen trained type dog.

When you say "take on a man" you mean attack, hold, do some damage or bark and bail? If you want a dog to be a deterrant and scare people off then I suggest a Ridgeback. If you want a man stopper then I'd do for a Belgian Malinois from good working stock. BUT if you go down the man stopper path, get good training for the dog. Make sure the whole family is involved in the training and socialize the dog well. Mals are a very active dog with lots of drive so do your research and make sure you can handle any dog thats going to be used for protection.

Best guard dogs are the ones that are alert and let you know something is up. One that latches on is a potential liability. Get one that makes a real fuss and won't give up til you get there...small terrier like a Jack Russel.

The perp that's really there to do harm won't be stopped by any dog....the longer the dog survives to make noise the better.

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Deutch Draahthaar

I raise them and I don't think they have enough mansharp potential, great hunting dogs. I'd get a Jack Russell...make a heck of a rackett...the perp that's really there to do harm is just gonna shoot a dog..I don't think the dog stops him.
My old "brown Betty" will and all I need is a few seconds to rack home a shell...if they hear that and keep coming, its open season.

Airedale.

Mine is superstar in the bird field and will bay up and catch any hog I will let him see. He is obsessed with squirrels, but I have never encouraged him in that direction.

Further more he is one hell of a guard dog. He is very mellow around the house when I am home, but if I pack a bag to leave on a trip a switch flips in his head. He lays by the door and growls at any noise he hears. When my wife is walking him by herself he will growl and bark at anyone who comes remotely near her.

Look into an Airedal. They are a great combo of a versatile hunting dog and excellent family guard dog. My male is a larger than most. He was 96lbs at the vet yesterday and is not fat. Most males are between 50-65lbs

A "Watch Dog" is NOT a "Guard Dog".

Both are useful.

quote:

Originally posted by wyoske:
German Wirehair, Deutch Draahthaar

I have been toöd that for guard dogs and personal protection Weimaraners are even better than wirehairs. They are however high-perfrormance dog and need their regular workout, both physical as well as intellectual. If not, they start to workout on what's at hand.

austrailian cattle dog!!!
common name "Heeler"
owned them all my life,turn them "on" and "off"
with one word commands.
very smart,loyal,intelligent,fast,and protective
of family and property.
I hunt birds,catch Mt. lion,chase grizzlys,cows horses,taught mine to hunt shed horns,trail wounded game,fetch my slippers and a beer out of the refrigirator.
word commands,hand signals and sometimes i believe he can read my mind.
training reqires this dog be at your side the first 2 years of his life or you will have a feral dog.
25-35 pound dogs that will and can do it all.
they have NO fear and are a big enough package to get the job done,yet small enough you don't need a wheel barrow to clean up after. low food costs also.
my wife goes backpacking in the grizzly infested Mts of wyoming, ALONE.
as long as "zip" is with her i have no worries.

what kind of area do you live in?

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small enough you don't need a wheel barrow to clean up after.

Ah! Yes! The main criteria (if you have a fenced back yard)!
Peter

The two best have been mentioned chessies and heelers both make loyal and protective pets.

you've all been helpful and consistent with my thoughts. Thanks.

do a search for a Boerboel. it's a type of african farm dog thats becoming more popular in the states. If size intimidates then no one will come within a mile of your door.
fantastic family dogs, not mean-just protective and one BIG dog.

My contribution:

Sarplaninac
Maremma
Anatolian
G Pyr
Akbash
Kangal

These are all livestock guardian breeds, they are big, weather proof and very protective of that which belong to them. I hope to add a Sarpi to my farm in the future.

Here's why:

The temperament of the breed is described as independent, reliable, protective but not snappy, incorruptible and devoted to its master. The breed is aloof with outsiders, and calm until a threat to the flock presents itself. The breed has a extremely protective nature. In the absence of a flock of sheep, the Šarplaninac will often treat its humans as sheep - herding them away from danger or undesirable areas. They are serene and majestic, gentle with children and smaller dogs. They are also highly intelligent and bred to work without human supervision while guarding the flocks in the high pastures. Young pups can kill small animals until trained not to hunt.

Like many of its cousin Mountain dogs, the Šarplaninac is a very serious and dedicated guard dog. Due to this, they are naturally suspicious of strangers and will need good socializing at a young age to lessen this innate personality trait. They are calm and gentle with their family but when faced with danger they become a formidable foe, not a suitable breed for all. Consistent and firm training is essential to ensure compliance.

Rhodesian Ridgeback great family dog intelligent, but can be hard headed so start obedience training early.

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Akbash

Compulsive barker but impressive dog like the others on your list.

I have two German Shepherds which are fenced around the perimeter of the house excluding the front porch and most delivery men are scared to get out of the truck. I think a couple of German Shepherds are plenty enough of a deterrent and are very loyal dogs. Just stay away from some of the overbred Shepherds, as they can be a little spastic.

Boerboel.

The heelers by far. I've been a UPS driver for 25 yrs and have had experiences with all breeds of guard dogs and I fear the red or blue heelers more than any. Been bit by more of them as well. JC

quote:

Originally posted by ravenr:
austrailian cattle dog!!!
common name "Heeler"
owned them all my life,turn them "on" and "off"
with one word commands.
very smart,loyal,intelligent,fast,and protective
of family and property.
I hunt birds,catch Mt. lion,chase grizzlys,cows horses,taught mine to hunt shed horns,trail wounded game,fetch my slippers and a beer out of the refrigirator.
word commands,hand signals and sometimes i believe he can read my mind.
training reqires this dog be at your side the first 2 years of his life or you will have a feral dog.
25-35 pound dogs that will and can do it all.
they have NO fear and are a big enough package to get the job done,yet small enough you don't need a wheel barrow to clean up after. low food costs also.
my wife goes backpacking in the grizzly infested Mts of wyoming, ALONE.
as long as "zip" is with her i have no worries.

So I pull into this ranch yard outside of Medicine Lake MT to ask permission to pheasant hunt. Two Heelers meet me in the yard, pleasantries are exchanged and I knock on the door, go in the house and visit with the people for a little while.

Having obtained permission, a cup of coffee and a muffin, I give my thanks and head for the pickup. My pickup with the un covered bed.

As I approach the pickup, I notice that as usual my lab is sitting on the bench seat, leaning heavily on the seat back, watching me out the back window. In the bed of the truck there are two eyes slightly below a set of perked early keenly measuring my advancement. The ears and eyes duck away as I get close and I can hear crunching and gulping. I arrive at the bed of the truck to see the male Heeler in the truck finishing what was a mostly full 20#bag of Purina that he thought he had more time to enjoy.

I dropped the tailgate and between chuckles hollered at the dog to get out of my truck and my labs food. No kidding, the Heeler waddles over to me, sorta leaned on me and in plain english said, "A little help here buddy, I got in here just fine but after that breakfast I don't think I can manage the jump down." Fine I said and lifted the stuffed sausage to the driveway.

Whadda guard dog.

Hold on a second!

What's the threat that prompts this search? Is this something that might be better addressed by CCW, restraining orders, police notification, and other means?

German Shepherd are bread and trained specifically for guard duty and law enforcement, search, seizure, restraining, taking into custody.

But before you endeavor any of these actions, you'd be well advised to seek legal counsel in this matter -- before you get yourself arrested for something that threatens to spin you out of control.

Bullmastiff would be ideal. Look up the purpose of the breeding. It will take down a man very easily without mauling him to death. The breed will lock on to his throat, the more the man moves, the tighter the dog will squeeze, once the man stop moving, the dog will release pressure slightly. One look at this breed will make your hair stick up on the back of your neck.

Another excellent breed is the Old English Mastiff that are being bred in USA not England.

Big differences between watch and guard dogs.

Dobermann?

I love my Weimaraners.
I have 2 loppy eared dogs and they're great.
True, they lay around and hold the couch down most of the day...unless I'm outside, then they HAVE to be with me!
They love to go with me wherever I go, it doesn't matter. Very much velcro dogs!
But, I guarantee that you can't get in my house at night without them coming unglued!
They can be dead asleep and will come alive and act at anything going on.
During the day, nobody comes up my drive that they won't let you know it...this is even if they're inside the house.
I've seen my female raise the hair on her back twice when somebody came to the door and that is pretty much a clue to not let them in.
Just my personal opinion.

As mentioned earlier, a Chessie will definitely fill the bill. The watermen would have them guard the boat all day while they were away selling whatever they caught the night before. Fish or ducks or what have you.

But make sure you get a good one, because they can be unpredictable if they're not bred well. They are definitely one man dogs; mine was fine as long as I was there. But I went away for an extended time after 9/11 courtesy of Uncle Sugar. The dog figured he was the boss of the house in my absence. He turned on my wife one night when she tried to nudge him out of the way so she could go out on the patio. He was chewing on one of his toys and thought she shouldn't be bothering him. Tore her up.

My now ex-wife.

My now ex-dog.

I no longer desire dogs that are inclined to think they're large and in-charge. Not that I ever did. I really didn't know that's what I was getting with the Chessie. I thought I was getting a good retriever with some slight inclination towards protectiveness. Jeez, was I surprised at just how protective he was about whatever he thought was his to protect. Although I can say I wasn't nearly as surprised as my ex-wife.

An alert watch dog is nice to have. And in addition to giving me a heads up, my Gordon Setter has a deep bark which intimidates most people. But he just won't take matters into his own hands (paws?). That's what me & shotguns are for.

If you do want a guard dog, though, you can do worse than getting a Chessie. If you have a good Chesapeake Bay Retriever, no one is getting in your house without your permission. Or his.

quote:

Originally posted by Ammohouse:
I love my Weimaraners.
I have 2 loppy eared dogs and they're great.
True, they lay around and hold the couch down most of the day...unless I'm outside, then they HAVE to be with me!
They love to go with me wherever I go, it doesn't matter. Very much velcro dogs!
But, I guarantee that you can't get in my house at night without them coming unglued!
They can be dead asleep and will come alive and act at anything going on.
During the day, nobody comes up my drive that they won't let you know it...this is even if they're inside the house.
I've seen my female raise the hair on her back twice when somebody came to the door and that is pretty much a clue to not let them in.
Just my personal opinion.

X2, My Weim acts the same way. They are very loyal and fearless, mine treed a blackbear.

lavaca, I don't know where you been getting or seeing your German Shepards but I can assure you that are certainly mean enough when the cammand is given by those policeman in the canine units all across the USA.

I been raising Labs and German Shorthair Pointers for many years and my favorite guard dog breed (and the most intelligent) is the German Shepard bar-none! I had 2 of them until they passed on and am looking for 2 more pups.

Blue Dog:

My very limited experience with Shephards is as a kid. These dogs were not trained as guard dogs. Great pets. They were about as fierce as a Shetland pony.

Know any good breeders? Good hips?

Rotts actually make good dogs as long as you purchase one from a responsible breeder, they are quite loving and devoted to their owners. They are however very powerful dogs and quite playful when they are young and can and will knock you down playing. I have quite a bit of experince with these as well as pits, but my wife does not like the idea of such a dog as we have young children. The breeds that I own now as watch/farm dogs are an Aust. Sheppard and a Catahula Cur. Personally I like the Catahula because the are pretty good hunting dogs too, the the Sheppard has more grit. If mine is inside with my girls you will not enter the house if she does not know who you are, as I have seen her put someone back on the porch on more than one occasion.

What "Ravenr" said. He beat me to the punch, and outclassed me with the grizzly thing, but I truly believe that the "heeler" is the smartest, toughest, most loyal dog around. My old female died last summer at almost 13 years old. Best damn dog I ever had. I used to have a rodeo arena and my dog could go from working bulls in the arena to dove hunting and retrieving birds quicker than I could break out my shotgun. They are not nuisance barkers but will let you know if someone is around that shouldn't be.
They are intelligent enough to learn anything that you are smart enough to teach them.

You need a dog that is:
Even tempered
Easy to train
Big in size
Big in bark
Intimidating as a sawed off shotgun
French Mastiff

I will give you the internet sight that you can check out for yourself. I do use this sight sometimes to sell a dog or two of my own.

"Gun Dog Breeders.com" they have many breeds to choose from ok. You just make sure your getting a pup from an AKC Kennel and that you can see the parents of that pup for yourself. You want to ask for refferences for the last couple of years and speak to owners of those pups they purchased etc.

Please do NOT think about price of the pup!
Vet bills, food and training all cost the same and much more in the long run. So spend your dollars on a quality animal.

I favor the German Shepard because it is the most intelligent of the breeds along with the Belgian Malinois, I must admit I have never had a Belgian but many police departments are using them along with the long time standard, the German Shepard. The are both family oriented type breeds and do well with children and people also you may want to bring around your home ok.

Now next to the collie the Shepard is great with kids, is loyal and NOT aggressive unless put on command usually. Now Labs and some other breeds make great seeing eye dogs but never GUARD DOGS! The police departments spend often more than $6000 to $10,000 dollars upward for a good trained police dog and the German Shepard is top pick and has been for decades. Need I say more!!!